Table favorites

I'm not the most talented pastry chef but I like to occasionally dabble making sweets for fun. Meals are more my thing. Here's a recipe I've significantly modified from taste.com.au recipe for kicks and produced sinfully indulgent brownies .

Method1. Grease and line the base of a 20cm square pan or set up cup cake cases in pans. The latter offers better portion control and easy to pack for lunches

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350 deg F (for my Yankee counterparts).

3. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, then set aside to cool

4. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale (use an electric mixer). Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, stirring, until just combined (use a wooden spoon for this step). Sift the flour and cocoa, then fold into the egg mixture. Fold in the chocolate and chocolate/nuts,

5. Pour or spoon into cake pan.cup cake cases and bake for 17-18 minutes (gooey and moist - can be baked up to 25 mins depending on your prefs). Leave to cool in the pan, then cut into squares to serve.

These brownies are best served with a strong cup or black tea to offset the mega sweetness.

The much favorite Italian classic, Chicken Parm, is a staple on pub menus, Italian restaurants and potlucks globally. This moorish dish and variations of, satisfy young and old as it can be dressed up or down. As a family menu item, it's handy for using up any left over pasta sauce and fresh mozzarella, while any leftovers make a perfect brown bag lunch reincarnated as a sandwich.

Here's a simple and lean recipe that will jazz up your week night menu.

Iced Milo is a popular beverage sold throughout Malaysia and Singapore. This delicious chocolate drink is a cinch to make at home and perfect any time of day or as an alternative to iced coffee and tea in the summer time. It's lighter than a traditional iced chocolate and milkshake, and caffeine-free.

Milo is available online and at Asian, Spanish and most ethnic grocers in the US.